http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-talk-pink-toenails-0414-20110413,0,4817384.story
If you google J. Crew and Pink toenail polish, you will find multiple media channels - big news stations, blogs, comment boards... - all commenting on the fact that a woman representing J. Crew and modeling new clothes was pictured with her young son who had his toenails painted pink. This caused a massive uproar all over television and the web.
Tonight, Jon Stewart put together a piece on all the rants, which I can't find yet, but am sure by tomorrow will be on YouTube. One of the men he found, a supposed specialist, stated that such an action goes against masculinity, not verbatim, but that is what he meant. Society is so set in the established gender roles, and when a young boy gets his toenails painted by his mother, instead of it being a bonding moment, a sweet gesture by his mom to show affection, it is taken as an assault on what it means to be a man. Someone said she should be saving funds for later when he needs psychotherapy. Really? This goes back to what exactly it means to be a 'man.' Clearly in the western world, wearing pink nail polish signifies homosexuality, and being feminine, because pink is a 'girl' color. First of all, there are plenty of 'manly,' straight, men who wear the color pink, and secondly, why do so many people care? Why is the media all over this topic?
I find so many things wrong with this whole thing and I was instantly angered. The attention paid to this action is ridiculous when you look at the state of the world, but it speaks volumes to what people care about, and are thinking about. We are all so interconnected with one another that such an instance makes national media - it is sickening to me. Just wanted to share and rant a little.
I agree...this topic has been WAY overblown in the media, and it really bothers me how worked up people are getting over it. First of all, J.Crew is a private company and if you don't like their advertising, don't buy from them. Period.
ReplyDeleteI know a few people who would have similar objections to the one's raised here, and trying to see it from their perspective is difficult. People have been conditioned to adorn girls in pink and boys in blue since birth. Obviously, this falls along with that same kind of thinking...only one color can fit with its "traditional" counterpart (gender). However, look at this moment. It is a mother with her 5 year old. Have these people ever been around 5 year olds? Sure, they are being shaped at every moment, but at the same time...they are imaginative, playful and silly. Sometimes they don't make a lot of sense. This boy, in an ad or even if he was in "real life," probably sees this event as a funny, playful occurrence. If he sees something wrong with it, it's because someone told him that pink is for girls, and his feelings in response wouldn't be the result of pink=gay/feminine/confused sexuality...they would be the result of someone enforcing those notions of gender roles onto him. So, perhaps we should look at what society is actually telling him, causing some type of "sexual confusion," instead of the act of painting your toenails pink in general. As long as this trivial act is constructed to symbolize some departure from the "norm," then he might have some problems. However, it is not in HIS best interest OR society's to perpetuate a ridiculous gender stereotype about a COLOR. . . I mean, doesn't this sound a little like when people thought certain SKIN colors were associated with particular traits? . . . We know that road leads to nowhere good. Neither can this one.
One last point: I have beef with the news in general, especially when it makes things like THIS so important.... when there are so many other things in this world more deserving of attention. JUST by having this as a huge story in the news, the media itself is saying "there is something wrong with this, we need to figure it out, everyone think about it" instead of letting it slide as a triviality, which it is.
I thought this ad was so cute. It reminded me of the Rice Krispy commercials with the kids baking in the kitchen with mom. So I guess we've moved past the point of men cooking, traditionally a female role (even though I'm pretty positive there are more male chefs in the industry than female chefs)
ReplyDeleteOh and from the earliest time I can remember, my favorite color was blue...
Haha. Katy your comment made me think if this ad was set up in a different context, like with the little boy baking a cake or cookies or vacuuming a house with a toy vacuum or something that has traditionally been defined as a "woman's role"... would the debate have been such a big deal? Is there something specifically "sexualized" about this color to have such a grand outpouring of complaints?
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